As Wales is mainly a rural country a big factor to their economy is sheep farming and with over 8.5 million sheep in wales, making up 26% of sheep within the UK, it is not surprising The Royal Mint chose the sheep over the goat.

Last year was their first coin in a new lunar series starting with the Year of the Horse.

They used the same design on both the Gold and Silver coins, keeping consistent with the first coin. It's a pretty good design, I like it. It has a decorative look to the sheep's coat, but then simple lines for the face and horns, it works quite well.

Royal Mint 2015 Year of the Sheep Gold and Silver Coins

The 1/10oz Gold coin has a mintage of 2,888, the 1oz Gold coin mintage is 888 and only 38 for the 5oz Gold coin.

The Silver coins come in 1oz, 5oz and 1oz Gilded varieties with mintage of 9,888, 1,088 and 4,888 respectively.

The Gold and Silver proof coins share the same design and come with the following description on the website:

2015 Proof Coin Lunar Series Year of the Goat

The Chinese Zodiac, Sheng Xiao, is a twelve-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal with a unique personality. If you were born under this sign, you are likely to possess elegance, charm and kindness. Packaged in a stunning presentation case, this coin features a design of three goats surrounding plum blossoms, which symbolise hope, prosperity, purity and renewal in spring.

And the images:

It's a pretty nice design actually. The Silver coins come in various sizes, 11.66 grams (mintage 10,000), 1 ounce (mintage 5,000), 5 ounces (mintage 500) and 1 kilogram (mintage 500). Last year they changed up the design between the different sizes, but appear to have standardised them this year, using the same design across all sizes. A mintage of 500 coins for the 5oz coin is quite low (it was 5,000 last year) and the price point of A$320 for the coin is much better than the Perth Mint's circa $480-500 price tag for their coins this size. May be worth giving this RAM coin some consideration.

There is also the 1/10oz Gold coin available which has a mintage of 1,500. It doesn't appear they are doing a 1oz Gold coin (at least one hasn't been listed on the website yet).

Along with the standard proof coins above they also do the Tetra-decagon Goat Coin which comes in both Silver (1/2oz) and CuNi. Both have unlimited mintage. I really liked the Tetra-decagon Horse & Snake Lunar Coins so it was a little disappointing to see the goat design which I am not as fond of:

If you are interested in pre-ordering the Royal Australian Mint Lunar Goat Coins you can do so at the Mint e-shop.

Perth Mint 2015 Silver Lunar Goat Design: The design follows the styling cues of the 2014 Lunar Horse Coin with the leaves and branches of a tree bordering the top left hand side of the coin. There are some grass patches. There are 3 goats pictured all with long hair, two have their heads up and one has it's head down presumably eating some grass. Overall I think it's a solid design, I prefer it over the Perth Mint's 2003 Silver Goat Coin. Animal hair can be one of the most difficult elements to capture in a coin and it will be difficult to tell how well Perth Mint have done with this coin until seen in the flesh, but certainly the computer generated images give the indication they've done well to portray the long hair.

Perth Mint 2015 Gold Lunar Goat Design: This design illustrates a shorter haired mountain goat atop a rocky landscape with mountains in the background. The rocky foreground is quite detailed with the mountainous background pictured in a much simpler form. I think the backdrop on this coin lets down the design somewhat, I would have preferred to see detailed mountains as we saw on the Perth Mint's Gold Lunar Horse Coins last year. Overall I still think it's a good design and prefer it over the Perth Mint 2003 Gold Goat Coin.

The release dates are below as previously detailed on this site.

1st September 2014

2015 Australian Lunar Year of the Goat Gold Bullion Coin Series

2015 Australian Lunar Year of the Goat Silver Bullion Coin Series

2nd September 2014

Australian Lunar Series II 2015 Year of the Goat Gold Proof Coins

Australian Lunar Series II 2015 Year of the Goat Silver Proof Coins

For those wishing to purchase some of the Perth Mint lunar coins, I can recommend site sponsor Bullion Money (likely to have pre-orders available from the linked page soon) for the bullion release and purchases made of the numismatic releases from Perth Mint through the banners and links on this page support this site too.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

The Singapore Mint has released images, specifications and pricing of their 2015 Macau Lunar Goat coins on the website, available now to order (silver coins via ballot) with their release forthcoming at the end of September.

The mintage numbers remain the same as last year (Macau Lunar Horse), but are higher than the year prior (Macau Lunar Snake).

The description provided by Singapore Mint for this years release is below:

The Monetary Authority of Macau proudly presents the Macau Lunar Coin Collection (2008 – 2019), which is exclusively minted and marketed by The Singapore Mint. The Macau Lunar Goat coin, the eighth in this collection, is issued in conjunction with the arrival of the 2015 Lunar Goat Year.

The obverse side of the coin features a well-defined silhouette outlining the fine details of the goat’s body, flanked by a fringe of brilliantly-hued rhododendron. The goat is traditionally known by the Chinese as a symbol of peace and luck. Rhododendron is one of China's top 10 traditional flowers and has the prestigious title of "Queen of Beauty" bestowed on it. The abundant petals evoke a sense of prosperity and thriving beauty with its vivid colours.

The Mount Fortress is featured on the reverse side of the coin, an important landmark of Macau’s illustrious past. One of the oldest historical structures in Macau, the Mount Fortress is part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As the famous saying goes: With the advent of spring begins prosperity. This saying depicts three goats welcoming spring, a symbol of great fortune and usually refers to the unveiling of new beginnings and ushering of renewed peace and serenity. Collecting all three coins from the Macau Lunar Goat series will be akin to having the legendary three goats ushering spring to the individual during the Chinese New Year.

Images of the 3 releases (all carrying the same design, but different sizes, colour or metal) are below, along with specifications for each coin:

Fine Silver Coin - Year of the Sheep - Mintage: 8,888 (2015) – 23.17g

Special features:

• This Year of the Sheep coin is a new addition to the Mint's popular Chinese Lunar series! • The Chinese character yang (meaning "sheep" or "goat") denotes the Year of the Sheep.• This $5 coin is crafted in 99.99% pure silver and features beautiful colouring that adds another dimension to the finely detailed engraving. • A celebration of Chinese Canadian culture! • Makes a beautiful and thoughtful gift for those born in the Year of the Sheep, and a beautiful addition to any Chinese zodiac-themed collection. • Your coin is GST/HST exempt and has a limited worldwide mintage.

Design:

The reverse image features an artistic rendering of a Bighorn sheep – a native of Canada's Rocky Mountains. The use of colour showcases the sheep's beautiful brown colouring. Nestled within the curl of the sheep's distinctive spiral horn, the Chinese character yang (meaning "sheep" or "goat") denotes the Year of the Sheep.

1 oz. Fine Silver Coin - Year of the Sheep - Mintage: 18,888 (2015)

Special features:

• Each coin comes in an attractive Asian-inspired case! • Crafted in the Royal Canadian Mint's exceptional 99.99% pure silver with a beautiful proof finish; the coin features a matte sheep design over a mirror background. • A beautiful addition to your Chinese zodiac-themed collection. • The Chinese character yang (meaning "sheep" or "goat") denotes the Year of the Sheep.• Your coin is GST/HST exempt and has a limited worldwide mintage.

Design:

Your coin features a sheep on a hill top, a sunset and the Chinese symbol for Sheep.

1/2 oz. Fine Silver Coin - Year of the Sheep - Mintage: 22,888 (2015)

Special features:

• This specimen coin is crafted in 99.99% fine silver. • A beautiful addition to your Chinese zodiac-themed collection. • The Chinese character yang (meaning "sheep" or "goat") denotes the Year of the Sheep.• Your coin is GST/HST exempt and has a limited worldwide mintage.

Design:

Your coin features a detailed depiction of a Bighorn sheep, which is native to Canada's Rocky Mountains. Here, the sheep is viewed in three-quarter profile, which affords the viewer a close look at its distinctively long, spiral horns. An artistic rendering of bamboo–a symbol of longevity–fills the background. The Chinese character yang, meaning "sheep" or "goat," appears below the sheep's shoulder to represent the Year of the Sheep.

• Part of the Royal Canadian Mint's popular Lunar Lotus series featuring coins of the Chinese zodiac; 6th coin in this series of 12 coins. • Crafted in the Royal Canadian Mint's exceptional 99.99% pure silver with a beautiful proof finish; the coin features a matte sheep design over a mirror background. • Each coin comes in an attractive Asian-inspired case! • A beautiful addition to your Chinese zodiac-themed collection. • The Chinese character yang (meaning "sheep" or "goat") denotes the Year of the Sheep.• Your coin is GST/HST exempt and has a limited worldwide mintage.

Design:

Your coin captures the true essence of the Sheep's character, and features a sheep and the Chinese symbol for sheep.

• Features a first time use of translucent paint on a kilo coin!• Crafted in 1 kilogram of 99.99% pure silver, this coin was meticulously polished by hand for a beautiful proof finish; a matte sheep design over a mirror background. • Each coin comes in an attractive Asian-inspired case! • An exceptional collecting opportunity–only 388 coins available worldwide! • Your coin is GST/HST!

Design:

The reverse image by Canadian artist Three Degrees Creative captures the true essence of the sheep's character.

1/10 oz. Pure Gold Coin - Year of the Sheep - Mintage: 2,888 (2015)

Special features:

• This specimen coin is crafted in 99.99% pure gold. • A beautiful addition to your Chinese zodiac-themed collection. • The Chinese character yang (meaning "sheep" or "goat") denotes the Year of the Sheep.• Your coin is GST/HST exempt and has a limited worldwide mintage.

Design:

Your coin features a detailed depiction of a Bighorn sheep, which is native to Canada's Rocky Mountains. Here, the sheep is viewed in three-quarter profile, which affords the viewer a close look at its distinctively long, spiral horns. An artistic rendering of bamboo–a symbol of longevity–fills the background. The Chinese character yang, meaning "sheep" or "goat," appears below the sheep's shoulder to represent the Year of the Sheep.

18-karat Gold Coin - Year of the Sheep - Mintage: 2,500 (2015)

Special features:

• Part of our popular Lunar series, your coin features a Chinese zodiac and is the 6th coin in a series of 12.• Limited to 2,500 coins worldwide.• Your coin is crafted in 18-karat gold with a beautiful proof finish; the coin features a matte sheep design over a mirror background• Your coin comes in an attractive Asian-inspired case—a perfect gift for someone you know who was born in 1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991 and 2003.

Design:

Your coin features a sheep on a hill top, a sunset and the Chinese symbol for Sheep.

Pure Gold One Kilogram Coin - Year of the Sheep - Mintage: 10 (2015)

Special features:

• Crafted in 1 kilogram of 99.99% pure gold, this coin was meticulously polished by hand for a beautiful proof finish; a matte sheep design over a mirror background. • Each coin comes in an attractive gold satin-like Asian-inspired case! • An exceptional collecting opportunity–only 10 coins available worldwide! • A celebration of Chinese Canadian culture, this coin adds prestige to any collection. • Your coin is GST/HST exempt!

Design: The reverse image by Canadian artist Three Degrees Creative captures the true essence of the sheep's character.

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My favourite is probably the 1/2oz Silver coin, same as last year, it has the strongest looking animal design.There have been some changes to last years lineup, there is an additional Silver and Gold coin in the mix. The coloured coin (first pictured above) is new with a mintage of 8,888 coins. In my opinion the 1/10oz Gold coin was the better addition and sports the same image as the 1/2oz Silver coin, adding an affordable entry point for those wanting a Gold lunar coin from the Royal Canadian Mint.Other changes to this series include that of mintages, for example the lotus Silver design has been reduced from 28,888 to 18,888 coins as has the standard 1oz Silver coin. The 1/2oz Silver coin has dropped from 58,888 to 22,888. The kilogram Gold coin has dropped from a mintage of 18 coins to only 10.

Sure to be one of the hottest 2015 Lunar New Year coins, this massive Year of the Goat tribute is struck from a whopping FIVE OUNCES of silver – and spans an imposing 65mm in diameter!

Certain to be sought after for the imposing dimensions, the exquisite High Relief Proof strike and the beauty of the precisely gold-plated reverse motif, the inevitably powerful wave of demand for this majestic legal tender $8 will in large part be driven by the success of its predecessor – the 2014 $8 Lunar Horse Gold-Plated 5oz Silver Proof. Undoubtedly a contender for ‘Coin of the Year’, the 500-coin mintage of the Year of the Horse Silver 5oz sold out at super speed.

As powerful, as eye-catching and as exclusive as its predecessor, with the mintage just 500 coins, there would seem no doubt that this stunning new release will march down the same path to success. Strike while the iron is hot!

An exquisite, imposing legal tender tribute to the Year of the Goat

Exclusive! Ensuring a sell-out, the mintage has been restricted to a mere 500!

Struck to immaculate Proof quality from a whopping FIVE OUNCES of 99.9% fine silver

Spans an imposing 65mm in diameter – and features precise selective gold-plating!

Beautifully presented within an impressive, high-gloss timber case

Accompanied by an individually serial-numbered Certificate of Authenticity

You can buy it from the Downies website for A$495. It's not a cheap coin, but with such a low mintage and impressive design I would be surprised if it doesn't sell out soon.

"...a representation of a goat, and a landscape featuring rocky ground, grass and stylised mountains in the background."

Perth Mint 2015 Australian Lunar – Year of the Goat Silver Coin design

"...a representation of three goats, and a landscape featuring grass and leafy trees."

The Perth Mint will be releasing the new bullion lunar coins (along with other 2015 bullion series coins) on September 1st, 2014.

The numismatic coins, such as the proof series will be released the following morning, September 2nd, 2014.

For those in Perth or anyone who can make it to Perth for the release date I'd highly recommend attending the Silver Stackers exclusive launch event which includes early entry to the Perth Mint and an exclusive presentation, this year including a Gold pour. You can view the details in the thread -> Click Here (you need to register your interest in attending & provide your details and I suggest you do so ASAP if interested).

I think demand for these Perth Mint coins could set the sentiment for how well other 2015 lunar goat coins will sell in general this year and next. It's not the most exciting animal (compared with a dragon, snake or horse for example), but looking back at Perth Mint's Series 1 bullion coins, the 1oz silver lunar goat mintage shows it outsold the horse and snake in the years before it, though the 1oz gold lunar goat mintage did not fare as well selling only around half the maximum while the horse and snake before it sold out.